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Looking Back At August

August was a time of regrouping, refocusing, and getting stronger. I'd definitely say I've done that for sure.

My mileage - 58 miles. And just about every step was fun, easy, and pain free. That makes me smile! I did take 2.5 weeks off from the end of July into August. My first day back to running was 8/8.

I've done quite a bit of running with the kids. Which is always fun. Tucker is needing a little more encouragement, but it's all good.

However, I focused on getting stronger and I've done that for sure! I was a backer for Gracie's Gear - a sports bra made by a running momma who knows her stuff, with a pocket in the front - for phones, iPods, fuel, keys, whatever. An added bonus for being a backer was 1 month of bootcamp. Her bootcamp was geared towards runners - strengthening our legs, our core, our arms. Exactly what I wanted to do anyway.

Here's my progress:

Progress people!

I feel stronger and more in shape than I have in a long time. And the strength workouts were only 30 minutes a day. That was easily done during bath time, sometimes I even did what I could while making dinner, and then finished up after dinner. Mom's need to be creative with our workout times!

On another note, school started last week. I do really love my job. But it gets a little more challenging to fit in running after school and we all know that I'm not very good at running at 4:30 in the morning. Last Tuesday Tucker had Open House and soccer practice. Which made time to run a little challenging. Thankfully Ward wasn't working that night (he usually is working) - so I left Tucker and Izzy at soccer practice with Ward and ran home. Which meant running up a huge hill. But I took it on like a boss.

Next week, Izzy starts dance - so it's going to get a little more challenging. But it's all good. I've got a plan!

Last Monday, Ward and I had planned on spending the day at the beach. But it wasn't exactly a beach day, so we took them hiking instead. All three kids were fantastic! Izzy hiked far more than I thought she would. Such a trooper!

One thing worth mentioning and that I am very happy to share with my readers is a new app I have downloaded onto my phone. I usually run with my phone - for GPS, taking pictures, and for emergencies. Then I was contacted by the creator of ReactMobile - a free app - designed for immediate alerts to those you choose to be alerted (individuals, Facebook, twitter) , as well as automatic contact with 911 with just a touch of the screen. Luckily I haven't had to use it, and I hope I never do. But I did play around with it a little bit, and it alerted Ward immediately with texts and emails. He, of course, called me immediately to make sure I was okay. Great! It worked! Just one more added piece of security. I love it! You can check out the video here to see how it works.

That looks like a great app; one app I would be totally interested in is one that could read out text message to me :-)So pleased that your month was active and productive to growing a stronger base for you, all positive from a potential negative is a great result.

Runners need happy feet. I think the nail polish really adds the happy touch on my feet because we know they definitely are not pretty!
Needing happy feet means sometimes we need to take extra measures to take care of them. Profoot could be the perfect place for you to turn for your foot needs. I was contacted by Profoot a bit ago to try out some of their products. I was happy to do so and Izzy, of course, was pleased to be my little model for the photo shoot. First up - The 2 oz Miracle orthotics

These are great! I cut them to size. Trust me, this is easy because all you had to do is cut along the lines. They are incredibly thin and easy to fit in just about any shoe.

On the way to Mount Washington. I was the crazy, chatty self that I am. And Ward was focused a quiet. I drive him absolutely crazy. And Tucker is sleeping in the back trying to block me out.

PR dinner right here!!!! Nothing says run fast like a huge burger with an onion ring and fries! I remember eating something similar just before I ran the MDI Marathon.

Parking lot yoga on a beautiful day. I wasn't the only one. But maybe I was the only one propping my phone against my water bottle to document it.

Leading up to the 2018 Mount Washington Road Race, I had severe doubts. I wasn't sure what to expect with this race. There are so many factors that go into this race. The training and time I put into the prep work, my fitness level, mental/stress levels, and the weather.

The first time I ran this race was in 2015. I had just run two marathons back-to-back, which were complete flops. Super rainy cold B…